US 12351486 B1Patent grantUnited States

Molybdenum Hybrid Photocatalyst for Water Cleanup

Official patent title

Nanocomposites for photodegradation of contaminants

Arabic title: مركبات نانوية للتحلل الضوئي للملوثات

Invention

Problem

Organic contaminants in wastewater can persist after conventional treatment, while existing remediation processes may be costly, complex, create secondary streams, or provide insufficient degradation under practical illumination conditions.

Why it matters

A sunlight-responsive photocatalytic material could offer another route for degrading dissolved organics, but reaction products, mineralization, quantum efficiency, catalyst recovery, leaching, and real-water performance need independent verification.

Approach

The method irradiates a g-C3N4/MoO3/MgAl2O4 nanocomposite in contaminated water at 10–80 °C so that an organic compound is at least partially photodegraded.

Who may benefit

Potential beneficiaries include industrial-water treatment developers, photocatalyst manufacturers, environmental laboratories, textile and chemical processors, and researchers studying visible-light-active carbon-nitride/oxide systems.

Potential value

The disclosure couples a defined porous, three-phase photocatalyst with bounded temperature and sunlight exposure conditions and supplies optical, pore, and crystal-characterization criteria.

Background

Industrial wastewater can contain organic compounds as well as metal contaminants. Conventional separation and adsorption methods may leave dissolved organics in the water or transfer them to another waste stream. Graphitic carbon nitride is studied for visible-light photocatalysis, but limited surface area, rapid electron-hole recombination, aggregation, and exfoliation difficulties can restrict its effectiveness. The disclosed approach combines it with molybdenum oxide and magnesium aluminate to create a characterized hybrid intended for irradiation within the contaminated water volume.

Technology overview

A nanocomposite containing graphitic C3N4, MoO3, and MgAl2O4 in a claimed mass relationship is irradiated in water containing an organic compound at 10–80 °C. One embodiment uses sunlight at ambient temperature and pressure. The patent identifies a broad UV-visible absorption band, a claimed 1.2–2.7 eV bandgap range, BET and BJH pore parameters, and diffraction criteria for the oxide and spinel phases. The process outcome is partial decomposition of the organic compound and partial water decontamination.

Potential applications

Potential photodegradation of dissolved organic wastewater contaminants.
Potential sunlight-assisted polishing after primary treatment.
Potential photocatalyst studies for dye-containing process water.
Potential research platform for visible-light-active hybrid materials.

Evidence-supported advantages

Defines a g-C3N4/MoO3/MgAl2O4 photocatalyst composition.
Permits sunlight irradiation under ambient conditions.
Specifies optical band and bandgap characteristics.
Provides pore and diffraction criteria for characterization.

Development stage

Patent publication with a described photodegradation method and material characterization; independent validation and commercialization were not established.

Commercial opportunity

The method may interest wastewater and advanced-photocatalyst developers. Commercial assessment should quantify degradation kinetics, mineralization and by-products, photon use, realistic solar variability, catalyst dose and recovery, reuse cycles, molybdenum and other constituent leaching, toxicity of treated water, performance in complex matrices, reactor scale-up, energy demand, and lifecycle cost.

Patent classifications

WIPO IPC

C02F1/30Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
B01J23/00Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
C02F1/72Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge

CPC

B01J27/24Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/39Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/635Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/647Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/613Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
C02F1/288Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
B01J23/02Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/67Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/612Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J23/005Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
C02F1/281Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
B01J23/28Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/633Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
C02F1/30Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F2101/20Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F2101/308Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F1/725Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F2305/10Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F2101/30Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F2305/08Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge

Inventors

First inventorMohamed Khairy Abdel Fattah Omran
InventorBabiker Yagoub Elhadi Abdulkhair

Keywords

photodegradation
water treatment
graphitic carbon nitride
MoO3
MgAl2O4
sunlight
organic contaminant
nanocomposite

Patent document and drawings

The patent publication is mapped to this record. Patent drawings remain within that publication; no separately cleared public media package has been supplied.